Consolation Prize
by Torie Rilistkrytcat
Summary: After his elimination, Alejandro has an inevitable discussion with Heather at the playa das losers, and realises that money might not necessarily be what makes a person happy. TDAS FINALE SPOILERS


**Aleheather is canon Aleheather is canon Aleheather is canon...**

**Uh, I mean, I don't own total drama**.

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Alejandro Burromuerto had never thought he'd be reduced to the level of sitting insider giant, disgusting toilet. When he'd first seen the flush of shame, he'd laughed about it, imagining just how humiliating and degrading it would be for the others to be flushed in it. Naturally, _he_ wouldn't ever have to sit in it, he'd thought to himself smugly. Once again, he was going to make it all the way to the top, and this time, he was NOT going to lose the money he deserved to some feral prairie boy and a volcano. Or, so he'd thought. Now, he had to eat his words with a bitter aftertaste as he climbed into the disgusting bowl of the flush of shame, scowling at the others as they taunted him. _They_ were all enjoying this moment; seeing Alejandro knocked off his block. Well, he thought irritably, they weren't the ones in a bowl filled with smelly, suspiciously cloudy water.

As Chris pressed the button on the remote, Alejandro had never been more embarrassed. He was actually being _flushed down a toilet_, like some form of disgusting fecal waste. All the pride he'd felt after destroying José in that fight was gone; José would be laughing extremely hard as he watched this moment, and would inevitably mock him more than ever when Alejandro returned, as payback for taking him out in the fight.

The flush of shame was extremely uncomfortable; it reminded Alejandro of those water slides he had always despised as a child, only _far_ less clean, and with some form of pressure system that pulled him down, making him feel nauseous. He had never been more relieved when he was spat out the end of the chute and surfaced, coughing for air. However, the sense of relief soon disappeared when he saw all the previous eliminees staring down at him from the dock of playa-das-losers, looking extremely smug. He knew that they would be happy that he was gone, and it sickened him; he loathed appearing inferior in front of others.

"Sha-bam! Lightning Sha-knew Alejandro would be the next one sha-gone!" Lightning brayed obnoxiously from the dock, pumping a fist in the air before pointing smugly at JO. "I told you! You owe Sha-lightning fifty bucks!"

Alejandro narrowed his eyes at the irritating Jock as he clambered out the water, pulling himself gracelessly onto the dock. Lightning had bet that he would be the next eliminated? Really? His hatred for the idiotic jock had just increased tenfold. In fact, he thought irritably as he gazed at the smug grins on the faces of the eliminees, he hated _all_ of them tenfold. He knew they had reason to hate him, but it was extremely low for them to mock him in his shame.

"Who's the "game child" now, Alejandro?" Sam taunted him stupidly as he passed him, but Alejandro just shoved the aggravating gamer out the way; he didn't have time to deal with irritating people like that right now. There was only one person that Alejandro actually did want to see right now, but as he scanned the small group that had gathered on the dock, his heart sank.

_She_ wasn't there. Alejandro sighed, lips curling into a frown. Naturally, she was going to be mad at him, but the fact that she hadn't even come to greet him, not even to taunt him and laud it over him, made him feel strangely empty. Alejandro knew that he and Heather had parted on bad terms, but he had envisioned that she would be there to mock him when he failed. Did she hate him so much now that she didn't even want to look at him?

Alejandro pushed past the other eliminated campers, ignoring their jeers of how they were glad he'd been eliminated. He was dripping wet and felt disgusting; at least the playa was somewhat comfortable, and he could have a decent shower. The only one of the ex contestants who wasn't laughing at him was Lindsay; poor, stupid Lindsay, who still hadn't realised that he was 'evil'. Instead of mocking him, the idiotic blonde rushed after him, throwing her arms around him.

"Jalapeño!" she cried cheerfully. Alejandro really just wanted to shove her off- he didn't care for her unintelligence and mispronounciation of his name- but forced himself to smile politely.

"Hola, Lindsay." The spaniard smiled, though right now he just wanted to be alone- or, rather, alone _with_ someone. Though he knew Lindsay would probably not be much help, he decided to bite the bullet and ask her something that was plaguing his mind.

"Tell me, _Chica_, do you know where Heather is?"

A grin spread across Lindsay's blank face the what he'd asked, and she pulled away from Alejandro with an odd little squeal.

"Hannah's in her room!" she told him cheerfully, before gasping. "Ooh! Are you going to kiss her?"

"No," Alejandro replied a little too quickly, wishing that he hadn't said anything to Lindsay. "Of course not! I just want to speak with her... Thank you for telling me."

He pushed her away and started towards the playa. Usually, he tried not to be impatient and abrupt with the likes of Lindsay, but currently there was only one girl on his mind. He needed to talk seriously with Heather, and had for a _long_ time. There was so much they needed to discuss and it was good, in a way, that he had been eliminated- no matter how humiliating it was, a part of him felt relieved to be out the game. The game had already cost him so much, and though it pained him to do so, Alejandro had made the decision not to let it cost him Heather, either.

He encountered a problem when reaching the playa, he realised that not only did he not know where the hell Heather's room was, but also that even if he did find her, he had no idea how he would get her to listen to him. The "slate is clean" excuse that he had tried o use on her when she was eliminated obviously didn't work, and he really didn't know what else he was going to say to her. He guess he could apologise, but Alejandro really didn't do apologies; it was hard for him to accept that he'd ever done anything wrong, especially since at the time he had been so sure that eliminating Heather was the right thing to do. After all, she had been his biggest competition for the million dollars...

Those _damn_ million dollars. As he scanned the rows of doors in the playa, Alejandro actually found himself scowling at the thought of the prize money. A million dollars was such a wonderful, uplifting thing, and yet it had caused him and Heather so much pain. He recalled that moment back on the volcano, when for just a split second everything seemed so perfect. But then, the lure of the million dollars had been too much for Heather, and she'd betrayed him. Recently, Alejandro had done the same thing to Heather- destroyed her in the game, so that he could win. However, for the first time since joining total drama, Alejandro wondered _why_. The million dollars never lasted; all winners were cheated out of it in some way. Had he really given up the only girl he had ever actually been able to love, just for a superficial sum of money thatknew was unlikely to be able to keep for so long?

Alejandro was caught off guard by this thought. He tried to remind himself that the money was a glorious thing that would grant him with success, dignity and fame, but somehow the thought that Heather mattered more than the money seemed to lodge in his brain.

His resolve to find and work things out with her even stronger now, Alejandro stalked through the halls of the playa, searching for Heather. Unlike the other competitors, this place was totally foreign to him; it took him a while to find the rooms of the cast, but he finally located them on the top floor of the building. Part of Alejandro was almost _nervous_ to find her, knowing that he would have to endure the full force of hurricane Heather once he did greet her. Even though he had taken out his brother to defend his brother, Alejandro doubted that a gesture like that would negate the indignity of being cheated out of the million dollars for Heather...

Again, Alejandro felt a strange tremor of repulsion at the thought of the prize money. Usually, he revered the million dollars, but the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't stop identifying it as the barrier that had separated him and Heather.

After trying a good chunk of the bleached-wood doors in the hallway only to find them unlocked and the rooms empty, Alejandro finally came across a door that was locked. Listening, he could hear someone inside pacing across the carpet with heavy footsteps, muttering to themselves in agitation. Though their words were low and incoherent, Alejandro knew instantly that it was Heather, and felt an uncharacteristic surge shoot through what little heart he had; he had genuinely missed her.

Tentatively, Alejandro knocked on the door.

"Heather? I believe we need to talk." There was no petty greeting, no small talk or joke to break the ice in any way. He was not in the mood for embellishments of any sort; right now, he just wanted to discuss their situation with Heather more than anything.

Inside her room, Heather froze, all her muscles contracting at the sound of his voice. She wanted to be happy that karma had caught up with him and he had been eliminated, but all she could feel was a blend of pain and horror; she didn't want to deal with him- though she would never admit it, Heather had actually been hurt by his betrayal of her. Several throbbing, painful seconds passed before she managed to speak.

"I don't want to talk, you jerk." Heather replied coldly, and Alejandro sighed, leaning against the door. He had expected she would be furious, but that didn't make her anger any less disappointing.

"_Mi ángel_, we _need_ to talk." He repeated, folding his arms. "I know that you are angry with me, but there are so many things we need to discuss..."

"Like what?" Heather spat bitterly from inside the room, gritting her teeth. "Like how you _betrayed me_?"

Alejandro rolled his eyes slightly.

"Heather, you betrayed me in a far worse manner," he pointed out, though he refused to let himself sound bitter about it. As painful- both physically and mentally- as that had been, he wanted to let that go right now. Right now, all that mattered to him was talking with Heather. "But _Chica_, there is far more to discuss than just that. Now I am not on the game any more, I can assure you that I am not playing any strategic games with you. I just-"

"I don't care if you 'just' anything!" Heather yelled, pounding her fist against the door violently, causing the wood to shudder. "I hate you, you jerk!"

Alejandro's shoulders sagged in frustration, and another sigh escaped his lips.

"Heather, just listen to me," he insisted. "There are far more important things that the game right now-"

The door to her room flung open, and for a moment all other thoughts escaped Alejandro's mind. It seemed like months since he'd seen Heather's face; even with a scowl of pure hatred worn on it, she was still so insanely beautiful that she skewed his focus for a second.

"More important things than the game?" Heather hissed through tightly ground teeth, her slitted eyes appraising Alejandro in a wary and almost feline manner.

"_Si_, Heather," Alejandro advanced forward despite Heather's burning glare. "I know the game meant a lot to you..."

"Meant a lot to me? You don't get it, do you?" she yelled, shoving him away from her furiously. "This show has ruined _everything_ for me! Every time I try to get the money, I end up with less than I started! I lost my hair..." she fingered a strand of her long ponytail for a moment. "I lost my tooth, I lost my _dignity_ so many times! I _deserve_ that money, more than everyone on that stupid show! Especially more than _you_!"

She whirled around suddenly, intending to storm away, but before she reached the door, Alejandro's hand closed around her wrist, pulling her back. He could have let her go, let her storm away. Heather would have hated him, the series would have ended and they would have never seen each other again. But Alejandro refused to let that happen; for the first time, he had realised that he no longer wanted the game to drive a wedge between him and Heather.

"Then forget about the money." he told her firmly. For a moment, the words hung in the air, before Heather turned and gave him an incredulous look, as if he had told her to forget to breathe.

"What?" she hissed, yanking her wrist out from his grasp. Heather couldn't believe he had said this to her; was he actually suggesting she forget the money?

"_Si_." Alejandro folded his arms across his chest, barely believing that he was saying this. "Forget the money. You were the one saying what has happened to you because of this _estupido_ show; you have been trying to get that money for so many years, and look what has happened to you because of it. Look what has happened to _both_ of us while we were trying to get the million dollars. We have been injured, offended and humiliated countless times on this pursiut for a million dollars. Surely that must show you something?"

"Yeah- it shows me that I need to try harder," Heather said firmly, turning away. She could see that Alejandro actually had a point, but she refused to accept it. She was still furious with his betrayal of her, and told herself solemnly that he was just trying to screw with her right now. However, Alejandro shook his head with an exasperated sigh.

"_Chica_, think about it for a moment. Look at everything we've done- not just you and me, but all of us. We've fought with each other for so long, just to win the million dollars. And has it brought us happiness? _No_. Even those of us who did win did not gain any happiness." The more he spoke, the more he realised that what he said was true. Alejandro couldn't believe he was actually saying this, but he had experienced an epiphany. Now that he had been thinking about it, the million seemed almost poisonous to him.

Heather just stared at him, agape. She knew she should have just stormed away, but Alejandro was making sense, and though she hated herself for it she was actually beginning to agree with him. How much had the show cost her, only for her to leave, time and time again, with nothing to show for it?

"_I_ am not your enemy, Heather," Alejandro told her firmly, placing his hands on her shoulders and staring directly into her eyes. "The damn show is your enemy. The money is your enemy. And clearly, trying to fight for the million dollars is never going to make you happy."

"Seriously?" Heather let out a hoarse and bitter laugh. "Since when did you care about things other than money? Look at all the people you've screwed over to win the million dollars-"

"And has it made me happy either, Heather? _No_." Alejandro interjected firmly. "It may have been amusing, but in the long run it has just lead to pain and humiliation. Do you really want to go your whole life pursuing something that will not make you satisfied or happy in any way?"

Heather looked away, refusing to make eye contact with him. She despised the fact that what he said actually struck a chord; she knew that ever since total drama had begun, she had been losing so mucin without gaining anything. Finally Heather looked up at him again, and his heart sank when she narrowed her eyes, giving him a hateful glare.

"Well, what, then?" she snapped, inflicting as much venom as she could into each syllable. "What the hell is supposed to make me 'happy' and 'satisfied'? What in this world is better for that than a million dollars?"

Alejandro frowned for a moment, unsure of how to phrase what he was going to say. It was hard for him to accept this as well, but Alejandro was tired of letting the money get between him and something he realised now that he wanted even more.

"Us." he told her after a moment, straightening up. "The million dollars was getting in the way of-"

However, he was cut off when Heather let out a loud, pained groan. This was far too uncomfortable for her, and she really wasn't in the mood for dealing with this right now. Talking about her and Alejandro's complicated, shaky relationship just confused and aggravated her even more. She was never one to show any affection or emotion for anyone, especially not someone she found impossible to trust and who had doubtlessly betrayed her.

"Please, Alejandro," she moaned, placing her face in her hands. "I really don't want to go into this again. There is _no_ 'us'!"

Despite her protests, Alejandro was refusing to back down, now. He had kept these feelings buried for too long, and he didn't want to leave things between him and Heather unresolved and difficult any more. He grabbed Heather's hands, a little more roughly than he intended to, and prized them away from her face, bending down to stare her in the eye once more.

"Why, Heather?" he asked her huskily, his eyes blazing. Heather didn't know how to react to his sudden determination; she found things so much easier when both her and Alejandro were concealing their feelings for each other, and now Alejandro was being forward about this she had no idea what to do- her mind was spiralling with conflicting emotions.

"Why?" Alejandro repeated, leaning in closer to her. Heather shook her head, trying- and failing- to stare him down.

"Because you're a jerk, who only uses girls..." she began, before trailing off slightly, unable to speak under his penetrating gaze.

"We betray each other, we fight and we constantly try to beat each other, do we not, _señorita_?" Alejandro sighed. "We could have a chance at a proper relationship. Like I said on the volcano, we could take over the world. We _are_ the perfect couple. But we are constantly fighting, because of the million dollars. And while we fight, we will never be happy."

Heather stared up at him, now totally speechless. She tried to speak, but her throat was choked up, and nothing came out of her mouth. For the first time, Heather was dumbfounded. Alejandro's words painted a strange, unfamiliar picture, one that she had never even considered. For so many years, the million dollars had been all she cared about. Even when she had begun to develop feelings for Alejandro, they were always marred by the worry that he would just snatch the money she felt she deserved from her. The idea of dropping the money from her list of priorities felt so weird, so alien...

So... _Right? _

Alejandro must have seen the shift in her features as she considered this, her face softening into a half-awed look as she realised, for the first time, that she could live without constantly obsessing over the million dollars. Though she was still silent, almost shell-shocked, he could see that she had actually accepted what he'd proposed.

"I love you, Heather," he murmured, and her mouth popped open unintentionally at the words she had never imagined he would actually be forward enough to say. "That is all I want. You are worth more than any sum of money."

Suddenly, his lips were pressed against hers, and though Heather's instinct was to shove him off, she forced herself to relax. If Alejandro was really deciding to give up constantly fighting for the money and focusing on his feelings for her instead, then why couldn't she? The strangest feeling overcame Heather as she realised this; it was something she had't felt in so many years, almost like a distant memory suddenly growing clear again. Was she actually... Happy?

That was ridiculous, Heather told herself. She was _never_ happy. And yet, the rush of euphoria overcame her, and she wrapped her arms around Alejandro's neck, surprising him slightly. She had never imagined that she would ever be in this situation, giving up all of her resentment towards him, especially since he had betrayed her only recently. But this was relieving, and this was new, and for some stupid reason, she didn't want this to end. It should have disgusted her, but Heather was actually _happy_ to be with Alejandro.

And right now, that was all that mattered to her.

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**Okay, so if the TDAS finale hadn't happened, I would think that the ending of this fic was really OOC. But considering Alejandro and Heather were all lovey-dovey "Oooh, the money doesn't matter", then I tried to make her act a little more like that at the end of the fic.**

**Hopefully, this was OK. I just wanted to explore what happened to make Alejandro and Heather realise they wanted each other more than the money. I hope this was OK, and not really rushed or anything.**

**For those of you who read my other fics, I'm planning on updating Surviving the Holidays within the the next day or so, and I'm hoping to get new chapters of All or Nothing, The Hardest part of this is leaving you and What we did in Vegas up by Christmas or maybe new year.**

**(Super excited that Aleheather happened in TDAS, BTW. About damn time lol)**


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